Celebration

The governor very kindly gave us Friday off, in an effort to staunch the hemorrhaging of money from the state budget, so I decided to make a bit of a celebration of it.

I started with a very elegant breakfast Friday morning (real tea and a tea cup!)

Then, after spinning wildly around the kitchen, the boys and I made peppermint bark.

I had been promising to make it since Christmas, and it turned out to be an incredibly expensive and time-consuming way to use up a few leftover candy canes and peppermint sticks (five bars of white chocolate!!), but the boys had fun, until they ran out of enthusiasm after the second layer...

M, after getting home from school declared it the best candy he's ever eaten, so that's saying something at least.

It's amazing how much longer a four-day weekend feels now that I don't get one every week. I stuck with my mindfulness plan from last weekend--not worrying about the list and what needs to happen next, just focusing on what I'm doing NOW. It's really amazing how good I feel when I do that, and how much I manage to get done. And I kept on taking care of myself as well--I did yoga on three of the days, got outside every day (sledding, walking, snowshoeing and even a late afternoon ski on the new snow yesterday afternoon) and got a few hours to myself when the boys went to a birthday party.

While they were gone, I made this pillow (inspired somewhat by this tree made by Heather at Shivaya Naturals) for a housewarming gift for friends (they moved in October!!). It's a family tree, with a leaf for each member, including a baby due in May. M thought it looked not at all like a tree, but a blob of chocolate, but C approved, so I'm hoping it doesn't look too stupid. Then I lay down on the couch to read, fell asleep for awhile, woke up with the book in my hands and my arms asleep, finished the book and lay there for some time doing ABSOLUTELY NOTHING before finally getting up, putting a log in the fire and starting dinner, before three raucous boys came home from a World War II party (not kidding) and stormed the house. It had been truly lovely while it lasted and I spent the evening feeling somewhat punch-drunk and slightly dazed.

Earlier in the day I made two mouse pads (get it? They're cat and mouse pads! Ha!) one to replace our "GoArmy.com" one that M picked up at the armed forced recruitment center (no kidding...and no I was NOT the one to take him there!!) and one for my sister.

I didn't accomplish everything I wanted to, but we did embark on an epic cleaning of the boys' room, for which I nearly ran out of enthusiasm, but revived my energies at bedtime (resulting in three boys going to bed late after a long weekend...sigh...

Thankfulness

A day to be thankful to be alive and safe with your loved ones (even if they do get grumpy when you ask them to pick up milk)...and to think of those who aren't.

Some ways to help Haiti:

Doctors Without Borders
Partners In Health (I've been meaning to donate to this one since I read Tracy Kidder's book Mountains Beyond Mountains several years ago...I'm ashamed to admit I just now got around to it).

One More Word on Christmas

Yes, yes, I know it's nearly the middle of January and no one wants to think about Christmas for another eleven months, but I just wanted to re-cap how our new Twelve Days of Christmas tradition went. As you may recall (because of course you memorize every word I write), last month, I talked about extending the festivities into January to avoid the Boxing Day Blues (that would be the "that's it???" feeling that overcomes one (me) on December 26).

The Calendar

First, I made this Twelve Days of Christmas calendar, based on the book My Wonderful Christmas Tree by Dahlov Ipcar. The idea was to read a page of the book each evening before bed and add the corresponding animal to the tree. How it actually worked out, was that Z first thing every morning Z added the animal of the day and, if we remembered, we read the corresponding passage that night before bed. I like how he really got into it.

Here's a picture on the last day (Jan 5), with the prodigal blue jay returned. (More pictures of individual animals on my flickr page).

The Candles

I also bought this birthday ring (on sale!) which very conveniently has twelve candles. Each night after reading books (re-reads from the Christmas Advent basket--or as my friend Sara's boys call it, the CBC...Christmas Book Countdown), we lit candles (starting with 12 on Christmas night and removing one each night after that through Jan 5) and sang Christmas carols. Then the boys took turns putting the candles out with a candle snuffer (I was trying to avoid getting red wax on our white play silk).

Here we are on day 10, awaiting the evening candle-lighting (Z turned the snowmen upside down so they would fit more snugly in the holder).

The Three Kings (and Befana the Italian Witch)

OK, Befana may or may not have made an appearance (I think I forgot to mention her) but I just like saying that. After calling in experts (my parents) to verify on which night the trio (plus the witch) are supposed to arrive (there was a bit of confusion whether they came the eve of Jan 5 or the night of Jan 5--turns out it's the night of Jan 5, making Jan 6 the bonus 13th day of Christmas). I finally got smart last year and reserved a stocking stuffer to save for 3 kings day, to avoid rushing out and shopping at the last minute.

Here are our Crocs all lined up and waiting one night too early (not quite as picturesque as wooden shoes, are they? And no, I did not even bother to sweep in honor of the Kings.)

In the final assessment--a success! Both of the younger boys really enjoyed all three traditions and I felt a little more festive for a little longer. Though next year I think I'll try and take the week between Christmas and New Years off to extend that lazy nothing-to-do feeling a bit. M on the other hand didn't get into either the calendar or the candles and singing (or the reading of Christmas books either). He'd rather be in his room reading or listening to his new punk rock or B-52's CDs...did you know that eight is the new 15?

I considered dragging it all out another week to St. Knut's Day (that would be today) when apparently in some Scandinavian countries they have a bonfire with the Christmas tree. When I first mentioned this, E said, "You're apposed to put it back in the woods. That what real people do." But he has changed his mind and all the boys want to see out tree go up in flames...I on the other hand feel sad at the prospect and want to put it back in the woods. For now it's sitting in the snowbank outside our front door. Who knows, maybe we'll torch it this weekend.

One Last Christmas Project
I tried to push to finish this project before the official end of Christmas last week, but a few setbacks like a mishap with the rotary cutter (damn those things are sharp!) and running out of red thread (and not allowed to buy more), left it undone. I had started in early December, but had to set it aside in favor of projects destined to be gifts. So it's still sitting right where you see it--on my ironing board.

The Kid's Art Table Runner didn't really appeal to me very much when I saw it in Handmade Home, but when I saw what Mary Beth at Salt & Chocolate did with it for Thanksgiving, I just had to make one.

I used all stuff I already had (the red is leftover from backing my new Christmas tree skirt; the back--which is reversible--is the fabric I used to put around the base of our tree, which I love; the muslin squares were all leftover from something; the snowflake ribbon was wrapped around a gift we received and the polka-dot ribbon and red bias tape were in the stash). Most of the drawings are by Z, because he is the most prolific artist right now (M draws a lot too, but mostly WWII fighter planes...not so Christmassey; and E is much more tentative in his drawing efforts). I have to say, embroidering your kids' drawings is addictive; I highly recommend it, even if you have no needlework skills or experience (and picking up basic supplies--muslin, and embroidery hoop, floss and needles--is pretty inexpensive). I have done a few of M's drawings in the past as well, and I never cease to be amazed at the details and creative ways kids represent things.








This is the reverse side--isn't it cute?

I guess I'll put this (and the placemats that are supposed to go with it) away until next holiday season (or at least until I have some red thread)...hopefully I'll think the drawings are just as cute next year as I do now!

New Poem Online!

Head over to Vox Poetica today to read my poem, Capture, in Today's Words...after today, you'll find it in the Poemblog.

The Three Epiphanies

Even though I went to Catholic school for seven years, I'm not really sure what Epiphany is all about (other than the Three Kings--or Befana, the Italian witch--leaving treats in your shoes. I never did pay much attention to those lesser holidays that just involved yet one more trip to church that week!). But I do see the wisdom in the New Year being a time of receptivity to personal revelations of sorts. This past weekend, as I faced the prospect of too much to do and too little time, I had three such moments of insight :

Epiphany #1--Take care of myself
Friday evening, while playing with the kids in the pool at the YMCA, I was moving my right shoulder --which is always sore--around in its full range of motion, trying to work the kinks out. I had been planning on getting up early Saturday morning to work on the computer, but it occurred to me that most of the things I enjoy doing--writing, knitting, needle-felting, sewing, drawing--as well as what I do for a living and basic housework and childcare, require fine motor movements in my right shoulder. Without a healthy and pain-free shoulder, I could lose the ability to do, or at least the enjoyment of, most of my favorite activities.

I know the problem is not intractable--after a fantastic yoga session on Mt. Desert Island over Thanksgiving weekend, it felt great--and even though it may at some point require some kind of therapy, I'm a DIY kinda gal, so I decided to commit myself to healing it. So Saturday morning, I got up early and did a good hour of yoga--rather than my usual ten minutes--trying to follow as much as I could remember from that great yoga session (I was smart enough to write it all down after we got home. Unfortunately, I was not smart enough to put it where I could find it later). Sunday I ended up sleeping in, but put on my Om Yoga CD later in the morning and again did an hour-long session (this time with kids crawling around and under me).

I don't have time to do an hour of yoga during the week, but I'm trying to bring by awareness into my body, pay attention to how I'm using my right arm, and shift some of that work over to the left. So far? I feel much better than usual. Now we'll see if I can keep it up!

Epiphany #2--Let the hubby know what's on my mind
I learned Saturday that when I'm feeling grumpy and resentful at my husband for some perceived imbalance in work load, if, instead of taking it out on my children, I vent at him, even though he gets defensive and makes me sound irrational and I lose the argument, I feel better immediately. And, he will disappear for a while on an errand and return all contrite and extra-helpful around the house (got a clean toilet out of that one!).

Epiphany #3--Be mindful
Now that we're through the holidays and various illnesses, I've decided I need to develop schedules and strategies for making this full-time work gig run as smoothly as possible. To that effect, Thursday evening I made a list of everything I need to do on the weekends to recover from the previous week and prepare for the following week, in addition to things I want to do with the kids for fun and by myself for mental health. I then listed all the things I needed to do specific to that particular weekend. It was a long list and there was grave danger that I would become overwhelmed by the whole thing, and just spin my wheels, accomplishing nothing at all (which is how I spent New Year's weekend).

Then it occurred to me, out of nowhere, to just be mindful of whatever task I am doing, not thinking about the list or the next thing that needs to be done, not trying to do six things at once. Guess what? It worked! I got way more done than I could have hoped--I managed to crawl out from under Christmas (does it take everyone a full half-day to take the ornaments off their trees?), cleaned the first floor of our house, planned meals for the following week, made a lasagna and burritos, patched a pair of M's jeans, did yoga, got our Christmas thank-you's about 75% done, and even got outside to play both days. I didn't get much creative time in, other than knitting a bit during our Saturday evening British comedies, and the kids' room still looks like the Blitzkrieg, but, when I couldn't find a needle for patching M's jeans Sunday night, I ended up cleaning up my own room, where the magic happens (that would be the sewing), getting the remains of Christmas crafting mostly sorted out and almost put away. I did try multitasking at one point--I was clearing off the table while making a grilled cheese, and, predictably, burned the sandwich.

So maybe rather than epiphanies, I should label these "well duh" moments, because it's probably obvious to everyone but me that one should take care of oneself, vent to one's spouse when necessary, and keep one's mind, attention and intention on one task at a time instead of trying to do everything at once.

One Small Change

Whew...apparently I just took a little unplanned bloggy break. I won't bore you with tales of severed thumbs, sore throats or sleepless nights, but I'll just get on with the post I should have written a week ago. Don't let my tardiness deter you from joining in, if you're so inclined; it's never too late to sign up to make One Small Change.

Hip Mountain Mama got the idea of changing one thing (for the better, environmentally-speaking) in her life per month leading up to Earth Day and inviting others to play along. First, before I tell you about my change, I need to tell you about HMM's. She and her family have given up toilet paper. Yep, that's right. They have replaced it with a washable/reusable system called "the family cloth." I know, amazing, right? Now my initial reaction was a Charleton-Heston-esque, "they can pry my TP out of my cold, dead hands," so apparently I'm not there yet. Maybe some day, but for now, I think I have a lot bigger ecological footprint issues than my personal hygiene, such as those 27+ miles I drive every day (hope to do something about that next month!)

So anyhoo, my change for January is...drumroll, please...Buy Nothing Month! Yes, I know that's pretty anti-climatic considering I had a Buy Nothing Year in 2008. Old hat, and kind of wimpy. But here's my reasoning...see if you think it's just an excuse or not. As we approached Christmas, and I was reviewing my buying habits of the previous few months (and my checkbook), I could see I was a little out-of-control in the spending department. Now, not out-of-control in the all-American-rack-up-thousands-of-dollars-in-consumer-debt sense, but out-of-control for me, as in every time I saw something I liked or wanted, I bought it. I needed to slow down the hemorrhaging of money, and return to the person I used to be, who took time to contemplate purchases, delayed gratification and most often did without.

So why not a whole year? I want to see if I can find a balance between all and nothing. Can I make reasonable expenditures and purchases, in the most environmentally friendly manner possible without going crazy and buying two books a week from Better World (really, it was getting that bad for a while)? This is the test. Whenever it pops into my head that I want (or need) something, I write it down. At the end of the month, I'll review the list, see what I really do need, what I still want, what is reasonable to have/spend, how I could get by with making, borrowing or buying used, etc.

Also, this month is a bit different than Buy Nothing Year, in which I allowed myself a few exceptions (like materials needed for making stuff), and I could buy used items. No exceptions allowed this month. If I run out of red thread, I'll just have to do without. And, I'm trying to avoid other kinds of spending, like meals out or snack food. This last has been my only stumbling block so far--last week when faced with taking something to knitting group, and having no time to cook or bake, I bought some chocolate at the healthfood store (but I did not buy myself a snack as I usually would, but instead ate a banana from the bunch I had purchased...no packaging and much more healthful than a cookie or something!), and we re-joined the Y last week, and my suggestion that C pick up the kids and feed them sandwiches on the way was overruled by his suggestion that I pick up the little ones and meet him and M at the pizza place (pizza boxes, paper plates, a chocolate milk container and an orange juice container...as Z would say, wot-wot-waaaah!).

Buying Nothing should cut down on vehicle miles travelled (to the places that sell stuff), packaging and postage as well as energy to run the servers of websites that sell stuff, and the energy and natural resources that went into making the stuff in the first place. One Small Change, indeed, considering I'm just one person in this big consumerist country, but it feels good to be part of a community of changers (to see what others are doing, go here).

What would you do if you could make one small change this month? Head over to Hip Mountain Mama and join in!

The Motherhood Muse Now Live!

The first issue of The Motherhood Muse, the online literary magazine about nature and motherhood that I told you about awhile ago is now live!

This first issue is full of some really wonderful essays, artwork, poetry and more by writers like Scott Russel Saunders and Susan Woodridge (and even some lesser-knowns, such as moi--I contributed a literary reflections type essay about Sandra Steingraber's book Having Faith).

I know it's difficult to pay money for online content, but at only $4 for a single issue ($14 for a one-year, four-issue subscriptions), I really do think it's worth it (and not just cause I'm in there). The writing is rich and varied; it covers a wide range of motherhood-and-nature topics; and it's a great opportunity to discover new writers and bloggers (and a good chance to get your own work published!)

Go ahead, click over to The Motherhood Muse, take a read and let me know what you think!